Quezon City reaching out to informal business sector

MANILA, Philippines - The Quezon City government is determined to reach out to the members of the city’s informal business sector so they can avail themselves of benefits and protection given to legitimate traders.

Mayor Feliciano Belmonte Jr. said members of the informal sector, which comprise 30 to 40 percent of the country’s economy, are often victims of protection rackets because they are beyond the protection of the government.

“We are trying to get the informal sector to the mainstream formal economy so they can avail (themselves of) protection from the city government,” he said.

Belmonte said the city government is willing to collect token taxes from the group so they can be included in the roster of businesses in the city.

He cited the city government’s Sikap Buhay livelihood program wherein small entrepreneurs mostly housewives are granted with collateral-free loans and provided with livelihood and skills training so they can start their own business.  – Perseus Echeminada